Shamanism is perhaps the oldest system with which man has sought connection with creation, yet it has no scriptures or dogma. It doesn't tell you to worship one god, or to associate only with those who hold the same beliefs.
Shamanism is concerned with what goes on beneath the surface of things - why certain situations occur in our lives and why we act as we do. It is concerned with the nature of our creation - why and how we came to be.
Shamanism takes nature as its teacher. It is concerned with the natural flow of life and with showing respect to our fellow creatures and to one another. North American medicine men are similar to African witchdoctors in their belief in the power of the earth. Those who share these beliefs have often been misunderstood and regarded with suspicion and fear. Medieval witches were burnt and, more recently, Native Americans killed and their ancestral homes seized. The Aborigines face discrimination, and the development of the modern world draws Inuit and other native peoples away from their traditional ways.
Shamanism would seem to be hanging on by a thread. Because all is connected, this is also true of humanity and the globe. In the West, there has been a resurgence of interest in nature-based religions, shamanism among them. Shamanism is not complicated. Many people conduct their lives in a shamanistic manner without referring to it in that way. For others, the word shamanism describes this energy perfectly.
Shamanism is not about becoming a Native American Indian. It is about trying to reach our full potential as we walk on planet earth. Recently people have begun to blend different faiths from around the world. We may meditate like Buddhists, pray like Native Americans and use tarot for personal development, bringing knowledge from many sources to create positive energy and a better planet.
Shamanism is natural and is only as magical as we believe it to be. A student once asked a great teacher, a very deep question about why a ceremony was carried out in a particular manner. He replied, "Don't ask me, I just work here." His answer illustrates that when we have an affinity with this path it can feel as if we are wondrous tools in life's great mystery. We sense that life around us is an extension of ourselves, and acts as a giant instruction manual on how to live life. Shamanism is in part a study of our environment, which is a big reflection of who we are. All the information we need is around us. We only need to know how to look for it.
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